Silver Spoon
by Vanessaarcher
Summary: A different way that Alice Pleasance could have met Jervis Tetch, or the Mad Hatter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own DC, the idea of this story is for the readers to understand my view of the comics.**

* * *

Alice sat in the coffee shop staring into the depths of her murky colored tea. Some satisfaction came from mixing it with her small silver spoon, but her eyes remained glazed over.

It was about six thirty in the morning, and most of Gotham was awake and heading to their jobs without any breakfast except black coffee to wake them up. Unlike the others, Alice preferred tea. Less caffeine, and to her it simply tasted better.

She paused drinking her tea to pull out a small mirror from her purse. She checked her skin, and rearranged her long blond locks around her face. After sliding her black headband into it's normal place, she but on her woolen cap.

Placing her silver spoon and mirror back into her purse, she left her payment next to the empty teacup. She adjusted her fingerless gloves and pushed the door open, feeling a rush of wind blow in her face and hair. She could practically smell the rain. She kept the door open, allowing more thirsty customers to filter in.

Alice stared through the sepia tinted windows and caught the eye of one of the workers, who glared back.

Embarassed, she blushed and moved onwards.

Another day, Alice thought, more jobs to look for and more bills to pay.

Not bothering to call a cab, Alice planned to walkthrough the biting wind all the way to her apartment. Gotham was fully awake by this point, streets jammed with cars honking and flashing lights.

Though the weather channel predicted rain for the whole week, Alice still hoped to see the sun poking from behind the dreary clouds. She stopped walking again, and gave a ghost of a smile to the sky swollen with rain clouds.

Her cornflower blue eyes wandered to the shop's windows, and saw happy couple smiling at each other, as they purchased sweet gifts for themselves. Looking even closer, she saw a paper in the window that looked suspiciously like a job advertisement.

To get a better view, she crossed the street. Grabbing the advertisement, she pushed the door open and heard the light jingle of windchimes. Walking up to the counter, she asked the cashier "Can you tell me who put this advertisement out, and where I can find them?"

The cashier popped a bubble of her chewing gum and silently wrote down the information Alice was looking for. She startled Alice when she spoke." Here ya go, dearie. Tell 'im that Veronica from the pawn shop sent you."

Alice gave her thanks and exited the store. Coming by a job, especially in such a depression, was hard for women in Gotham.

Turning a few corners and walking to the end of an alley, she opened a metal door cracked with old yellow paint. She passed her mail cubby to see if anyone had sent her anything.

Not noticing any envelopes she continued walking, but then a white flash of paper caught her eye. Strolling over to the cubby, she grapped the slip of paper, and walked over to the front desk.

The man at the counter had a set of headphones ovef his ears, so he didn't notice when Alice approached his desk. Alice noted that his music was playing so loudly, that even she could hear it. She had fo physically wave her hand in front of his face to catch his attention.

He sheepishly pulled the headphones to his neck and asked,"Uhh, do you need something?" He tried to sound polite, but both him and Alice knew he would rather be doing anything else.

"Can I use the phone? I have a missed call." She showed him the slip of paper that she had almost missed in her cubby. In her pocket, she fingered the card Veronica had given her at the pawn shop.

He replied monotonously, waiting to put his headphones back on "Sure, but you know the rules. No more than ten minutes per call."

" Thanks, Jack." She said softly, tossing her hair over her shoulder after taking off her warm beanie. He just saluted back, and put his headphones in their previous position, and turned his music up.

Walking to the tattered lounge, she picked the phone off the wall and dialed the numbers.

*Beep beep*

" Uhh, hello?" Alice questioned.

A careworn older voice sighed,"Oh, honey, I'm so glad you replied. I'm- I'm afraid that your father has just died." Her voice shaky with anticipation of Alice's response.

Alice froze. She knew that she only had ten minutes, and with such a serious topic, she doubted she could get all the information in less than that amount of time. Shs needed to make a decision, and quickly. Either upset her landlord, or ask her mother to call her later.

"Alice, please, I need consolation..." her mother begged.

Typical, Alice thought. She had made her choice." Do you think that you could call me later? I'm only allowed ten minutes per phone call." She hoped her voice sounded apologetic enough.

Her mother coughed,"You still in that prison?" Alice giggled, "Yes, mother. I'll make sure to contact you soon."

Not allowing her mother to reply, Alice hang up and left the main hall. Checking her cubby again, she took off her rainboots at the rug by the creaky, wooden stairs. Stumbling up the stairs with her numb toes, she eventually made her way to room 16A.

Placing a key in the lock, she twisted the knob, and glided in. Pressing the door shut, and her back against it, she slid down, and began crying. Her father had just died, and to keep herclandlord from strangling her, she hung up on her mom. What kind of a kid was she?!

After crying all her feelings away, Alice remained seated and thought about what she could do to remedy the situation. Once she felt ready enough to stand up on her own, she did and took off her heavy raincoat, revealing her blue and white striped sweater. She turned adound to lock her door, and noticed a card on the floor.

She remebered where she had gotten it, and pinned it to the wall, so she wouldn't forget to contact the company.

Falling on the white comforter of her bed, she decided that a nap was in order before she was going to make calls to anyone.

* * *

 **Did you enjoy it? Please tell me if you want me to continue, or if this chapter wasn't clear enough.**

 **I hope that eventually, I'll be able to storytell better.**

 **Thank you for reading it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm gonna let you know right now, I don't update quickly. I have a lot in my life constantly, so I give everything I can in my writing. I do have the story all planned out, so you won't worry about me not having inspiriation.**

 **The inspiration for this chapter is:**

 **Dear John - Taylor Swift**

 **Trust - Neon Trees**

 **Options - Brika**

* * *

Alice was driving to work on a sunny day, in her new Cadillac and noticed a dark figure standing on the sidewalk of the bridge.

At first, she thought nothing of it. Just another pedestrian walking on another lovely day. But there was something extremely familiar about this person, that Alice couldn't keep her eyes off of. It her like a ton of bricks.

This man was her father.

The one who had passed away the day before.

Checking her side mirror, she swerved over to confirm she wasn't just seeing things. This man was definitely her deceased father. How was it possible?

Slamming her car door shut, she ran over to where he was standing, and embraced him. He didn't even glance back at her.

He just whispered "Isn't that water simply beautiful?" This comment made Alice loose her grasp on him. The comment stung. He hadn't even acknowledged his own, his _only_ daughter. In this moment of confusion, he pulled himself between the bars of the bridge, and turned around to face Alice.

She cried "You don't need to do this!" It was completely devastating to see her own father comitting suicide, just after he had been proclaimed dead.

But there was something off with his appearance. His normally twinkling blue eyes were glassy, with tears streaming down his face. The whole image was haunting. Even his bowler cap looked odd. It had a white card in it, like he was trying to pull of a reporter look. Why? He was secretary, not a journalist.

Without saying goodbye, he flung himself off the bridge and into the murky water. Alice's white knuckled hands grasped through the bars, but to no avail. She had been trying to catch the lapel of his jacket, and failed.

She sunk to the dirty sidewalk, not believing what she had just witnessed. The rest of the world kept turning, busy lives and days blending into eachother. Alice knew that the world didn't revolve around her life, but she wished that someone would stroke her hair and tell her it was okay.

No.

It wasn't okay.

Alice dusted off her skirt and pulled her cell phone from her purse to call her mom. The smal beeps were confirmed to be pressed in the right order when the phone rang.

Someone on the other side picked up, and Alice hoped it was her mother. Suddenly the world spun and turned black as she heard the voice...

"Hold on..."

* * *

Shooting up in her bed, Alice didn't recognize where she was. Almost hyperventalating, she flipped the switch on the wall. The overhead lights slowly flickered on, and she relaxed. She had just fallen asleep again. Closing her eyes, Alice rubbed her shoulders, attempting to relieve some tension. Her shoulders slid down, as she shifted her legs to a more comfortable position.

She decided that she was going to be more productive for the rest of the day... or night. Alice noted that it was already seven p.m.

Dragging her feet to the bathroom, she took a long look in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen, and her hair was a complete rat's nest. After combing through her long locks, she picked up the advertisement pinned up on her wall. She was going for the job.

She acknowledged that sooner or later, she was going to need a job to support herself. Her primary objective was to call her mother, but she knew that a phone call that _long_ would cost way too much. Plus, the front office wouldn't allow it, being as frugal as they were.

Strolling to her small cupboard, she pushed ceramic plates and cups out of the way to find something edible. Her hand caught on something soft. It was a rotten banana!

Alice shrieked, and dropped it on her dirty floors. The banana split, and mashed all over her tile.

"Add some ice cream," she said aloud "And some chocolate syrup and you've got a sundae." Realizing that she had vocalized her thought, she blushed and thought "The more you talk to yourself, Alice, the crazier you seem to be."

But it had never been a problem before. She had always believed that she was like Alice from the famous story. That Alice always talked to herself, or gave herself advice. Like that Alice, she never seemed to follow her own advice.

Still searching in her cabinets, she found a box of generic macaroni and cheese. She shrugged, it had never been her favorite, but it was food.

After waiting the twelve minutes it took, she mixed in the almost-neon cheese powder. Shoving it all on a plate, she grinded some pepper on it.

When she was in grade school, her few friends would always call her weird for that quirk. She never let it get to her. It tasted better that way. Her father had loved it too!

Her father...

Just thinking about her dream made her nearly choke on tears. The salty drops of despair running down her peaches and cream skin.

Shoveling the cheesy goodness in her mouth, she forced herself to think of something else. The job advertisement, perhaps. Her noodles weren't even half finished when she got up to fetch the piece of paper, now on the counter. Buttoning up her coat, and wrapping a scarf around her neck, she walked into the hallway...

...and straight into a stranger.

"Oh!" Alicd gasped. She smiled apolegetically "I'm sorry."

The strange man looked at her oddly "That's okay, dear child."

She mechanically turned around awkwardly and walked the other way, wondering who he was. She had never seen him before in the apartment. Shaking her head, Alice trotted down the squeaky steps, and left the building. A cold familiar wind bit into her rosy cheeks.

Heading out of the alleyway, she made her way to the Wayne Tower for phone service. Bruce Wayne, the son of Thomas Wayne, the founder, had set up a public phone service for the city. He was always impressing some company or incorporation or something. He was a billionaire that would do to keep his image.

Walking through thr impressive double doors, she headed to the second room on the right.

Opening the door, she found an open phone booth, and settled in. Pulling the card out of her coat pocket, she quickly dialed the numbers and put the phone to her ear. He other hand was tapping furiously out of nerves.

Waiting for the other side to pick up, she grinded her teeth. Once she heard a voice say "Hello?" she perked up.

"Oh! Hello! My name is Alice Pleasance, and I'm calling about the job advertisement for... hand modeling." Alice had to double check the looping words that Veronica had written. Veronica!

"I forgot to mention that Veronica from the pawn shop sent me? If that makes any difference."

She bit her lip awaiting his reply. All she heard was a sigh.

"Veronica sent you. That's perfect. Hold one minute." the reciever commanded.

A tingly feeling made its way throughout her body, starting at her toes. She listened to the backround conversation. Alice was almost completely sure that she would get the job.

The speaker picked up again "I trust that Veronica gave you our information? Meet us there tomorrow at 12:30 exactly."

Alice's head bobbed up and down as she agreed. "Thank you! I'll be there!" She placed the phone back on its rest on the wall, and left the booth.

She practically danced out of the building, earning quite a few strange looks from the people. She didn't care! She had a job! A way to make a living.

Walking once again to her apartment, she made her way up to her room to finiah the rest of her macaroni and cheese


	3. Chapter 3

**Back again. Hopefully, you still care about this story!**

* * *

Alice sat up from her creaky wooden chair as soon as she heard the alarm go off in a distant room. Lifting her heavy head up off the table, her fingers rubbing her eyes brushing her cheek. Realizing that she had a substance on it, Alice ran dazily to the bathroom.

Glancing in the mirror, she confirmed that it was cheese sauce from her noodles.

She didn't mean to fall asleep at the table. Especially on her plate of now squished noodles. Ripping a paper towel off a roll, she wet it and rubbed it gently on her stained cheek. After removing the offending substance off her face, she crumpled the towel and threw it away.

Strolling in the kitchen, Alice tossed out the day-old noodles. The saucehad glazed over where she hadn't been sleeping, so she assumed it had gone bad. Wiping the table clean, Alice placed her hands on her hips wondering what else she could do to cheaply improve the place. Since she had found herself a job, she concluded the rest of her life could use a promotion.

Before any 'spring cleaning', Alice thought it appropriate to get dressed. Planning for a busy day, she picked out a crisp pencil skirt that she kept for special occasions, and a professional looking white button up.

She decided against wearing heels, since she had no practice walking in them. Selecting a pair of black ballet flats with a silver, she started her work at her sidetable drawer.

Pulling out the whole filing cabinet, she emptied it. Grabbing a large garbage bag from under her sink, she began releaving herself of memorabilia. With every item, a memory came to mind, no matter how dull the item was. Even a small slip of paper held some significance.

Alice would never call herself a hoarder, but that didn't keep her family from saying so. She shifted from her knees to the ground, and recalled her early life...

 _"Come on Alice! We agreed that we would donate at least twenty items from your room to the local charity..." Alice's mother pleaded. Looking around the room, her mom wondered what the walls had looked like before Lice had began collecting._

 _Young Alice refused,"But mommy, everything in my room is exactly where it needs to be!" She shrugged, hoping that her mother would forget about the whole donation situation._

 _Her mother did not respond how Alice had hoped. "Now Alice, pick out twenty items, or i will choose fifty, and you will have no say in the matter." She had said it so forcefully that Alice was shaking._

 _Rolling her eyes, she knelt once more and enveloped Alice in her arms,"I'm not trying to be mean, sweetie. I'm just trying to help you form good habits."_

 _Though Alice didn"t really agree with her mother's philosophy, she complied._

As she began to fill up the throw away pile, Alice decided that maybe following another person's advice would be good for her. Maybe she would eventually warn to follow all advice...

...and with that thought, she commenced the organizing.

By the time she had sorted through all her goods, she realized that it was twelve o'clock. She had thirty minutes to make it to her modeling appointment. Grabbing a nicer coat out of her closet, she pulled on a black headband and glosed her apartment door. Brushing her feet over the faux oriental carpet with ruined tassels, she made her way down the steps.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she judged that she had a few minutes to talk to Jack about the stranger she had run into before.

Turning the corner filled with mail cubbies, she tiptoed behind Jack's desk. He could always be found listening to music, so if people were careful enough, they could scare him.

Standing directly behind him, she grabbed his shoulders and gently pushed him forward. Grasping his chest in alarm, he pulled his sticker coated headphones down

It was only when Alice whispered "It's me" that Jack turned around. Jack quietly pushed his chair out from under his desk and guided Alice to the front of the desk.

"Here," he stated "is where you contact me. The bell rings so that I know someone has a question, and I can formulate an answer to assist them." He demonstrated ringing the bell before giving her polite fake smile.

She playfully smacked his arm and said "Yeah, right." He relaxed into a real smile and put his arm on her shoulder before asking "What do you need now?"

"Any intel on new strangers in the building." She said, her eyes staring heavenward.

He snorted "You want private information after that little stunt you pulled? How about no." He awaited her retort, but it didn't come.

"Look Jack, I have to go. I've a job consultation in twenty minutes. See you!" She yelled as she ran out the door, hair gliding behind her.

He was left stunned. She always finished an argument, and this time she had left without even putting in a snarky comment.

Jack was glad that he had picked such a great girl and that she came to him for any question, but she sure was odd.

"And there were no intruders." He muttered as he sat back down,"I watch the cameras and front door all day."

* * *

As she exited the building, Alice immediately regretted leaving the conversation hanging. She really needed to spend more quality time with her boyfriend. But he understood that she had to get this job, right? She decided to make it up with him by taking him out for dinner that night.

Walking out of the alley, Alice contemplated hailing a taxi, but ultimately decided against it. Traveling everywhere by foot provided excersize and was significantly cheaper, at least in her situation.

The sidewalks were noticeably damp, and the myraid of cars parked on the side of the road had water droplets scattered all over them. Alice was thankful that it had rained the night before beacuse Alice had forgotten an umbrella, and extremely faulty move for a Gothamite.

Once Alice had reached Fifth street, she took the card out of her pocket to find the specific building.

Passing graffitti stained buildings, Alice reached her destination. Taking a deep breath in, Alice opened the door and walked in. The waiting room was lit well, and had relatively comfortable couches which couldn't be said about most of Gotham.

Alice originally believed that one of the workers would come get her, but as the clock hand moved to 12:27, Alice was beginning to worry. She couldn't be late to such an important job interview.

Tapping her foot impatiently, she decided to explore the building. The right hallway had a light on, and it was a safe bet that it was the way to go. But the left had no lights on. She wondered if the company had to develop photographs, and needed a dark room to do so. She decided to travel down the dark hallway.

Opening the first door she saw, a group of people turned around. "Congradulations!" the man in the middle clapped slowly "We like go-getters. You're hired for sure."

Alice smiled, her insides were full of butterflies but she replied politely " I'm glad. Thank you."

The man introduced himself "Hello. My name is Niall Kane, and I am your new employer." Alice walked up to shake his hand. Before she could make contact with his hand, he stopped her.

"First rule of working here, I don't touch hands, at least directly." He pulled on a pair of leather gloves, and shook her hand.

Still holding her hand, he took her through a door to a more well-lit room. He sat down and set her hands down on a disposable plastic tray. He molded her hands in his and was pleased. Under his breath, he muttered "You know how to pick 'em."

After a few more minutes of examination of her dainty hands, he smiled so hard it reached his eyes. "Your hands are so incredibly perfect, and I should know since I studied Hand Anatomy in college."

Alice blushed "They're really not that great. Aren't they all worn out, y'know, from working?".

The man gasped "Of course not. It seems that you've hardly done any strenuous labor that could've damaged your hands."

She smiled at him, he seemed so nice...

Then Veronica walked in and sat next to Niall. She was wearing a black cutoff short and hot pants. Really, really short ones. Under the shorts, she had a pair of fishnet tights. Her boots had so many straps and buckles, Alice wondered how long it took to put them on. Her wrists were covered in bangles, and had black eyeliner smudeged all over her eyes.

She was a punk, for sure. Alice wondered why she was labeling this girl when she didn't even know her.

Veronica moved from the seat by Niall to behind Alice. Alice could practically feel Veronica evaluating her, and her worth. "So, baby, you like her?" Veromica questioned, breaking the silence.

Niall responded "Yep, you sude know what I'm after. Could you give her a make-over? She looks like a cheap receptionist."

Veronica smiled ferociously "Anything for you, babe..." as she led Alice out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! Sorry for the wait, but you might only get a chapter a month until school ends. Don't worry about me running out of ideas, though, because I havs the whole plot written out. Life just drags on until I have time to write it on paper.**

* * *

Alice looked uncertain as Veronica led her through the dark hallway and into the waiting room area.

"Sit down" Veronica instructed.

So Alice did as she was told, and sat down next the the glass coffee table. Within the minute, Veronica had returned with a waiver, and a dinky fountain pen.

Alice brought the small slip of paper close to her face and squinted. She couldn't decipher any of the words. Veronica sighed "It's honestly just a formality. We're not going to do anything to permanently damage your hands. And, you can quit anytime."

This cheered Alice up a little. Enough for her to work up enough courage to ask how much the job paid.

Veronica explained the job description as Alice rushed through the papers, signing where a line was provided.

"The amount of money is based mostly on how much merchandise we can sell because of the pictures. Usually, we give the newbies fifty-five percent of the profits."

Alice's jaw dropped. That would pay much more than her last job at the public library. Veronica smirked "You should be glad that I recommended you to Niall. He seemed pleased though. If you do especially well, we might even push you up to full model status."

"Thank you." Alice mewled quietly. Veronica laughed "You don't say much do you? Then we'll get along, you and I."

And with that, Alice followed Veronica to one of the rooms in the light hallway.

First, Veronica pushed Alice in the dark room, and then turned the lights on. It was the dream of a 50's Hollywood actress manifested into reality. A vanity sat against the left wall, and the lights around the mirror flickered on and off, making soft twinkling sounds. Gold glitter and feathers were scattered on the floor, and a filing cabinet on the opposite wall was full of costumes.

Once again, Alice was dumbfounded. This job was like a dream. She pinched herself on the arm, not hard enough to bruise, but enough to let her know it was reality.

"Come on, Alice." Veronica commanded. She was rather bossy."Let's prepare your hands for your first shooting."

Veronica pulled out a small folding chair, and had Alice sit on the futon. Sitting across from each other, Veronica trimmed Alice's nails and soaked them in olive oil. It would promote nail growth, and would keep her nails glossy and smooth.

"Now," Veronica began," I need you to know how to take care of your hands and nails properly." It was then that Veronica began applying crimson nail polish from Alice's cuticles to the end of the oval-shaped nails.

Alice stared in awe as Veronica continued painting. She would dip the brush in the small glass bottle, and cover then nail in blood red polish. She did it perfectly, as if it were her mission in life to paint nails.

"...and you can not, under any circumstance use acetone on any part of your hand. It will destroy them." she finished. Looking at Alice, she say her staring worshipfully at her newly painted nails. She smiled a strained smile. "Yep, she's a daydreamer."

Alice suddenly focused her attention back on Veronica's lovely tanned skin, and black-lined eyes. Her indigo blue eyes reflected a kind of hopefulness in Alice's naive character. Maybe that's what their company needed...

"Did you say something?" Alice questioned. She didn't want to lose any information. Veronica shook her head as she blew lightly on Alice's delicate nails.

"Nothing important." she said softly. "We're going to do your first shot today, if that's alright?"

Alice nodded her head, but then asked Veronica if she could call her boyfriend to see how he was doing. Veronica pointed the the vanity.

She was able to convince Jack to make up their plans for a different day. He conceded once she told him that she ha scored a job. Veronica could be heard in the background chuckling when she said that.

Alice finished her call with a sweet "Love you!" and hung up. "Now, where do we begin?"

Veronica opened the door, and pointed to the room across the hallway. "Straight in here, my fair lady!"

Alice was so glad that Veronica was being so nice to her. Her whole life had been filled to the brim with people who wanted her to listen, but Veronica craved conversation, not ranting. It felt so good to be acknowledged. Scratch that, it felt _ineffable_.

She stepped through the doorway, and into a white room with a light pink canvas covering one wall of the square room. Veronica pointed to a wooden chair and table set, with a plastic bag of chips on it.

"Pick up the bag and open it. Then take a chip out, and curl your middle, ring, and pinkie fingers. It'll look more appetizing that way." Veronica commanded.

'Oh, great' Alice thought 'Back in dictator mode.' But she did as asked, and did it well. She curled her hand perfectly, which made Veronica's eyes sparkle. Before Alice knew it, she heard camera clicks coming from Veronica, but also from behind her.

Veronica tried to stop her from turning her head, but to no avail. Alice gasped when she saw what was behind her. It was Niall, taking full body photos of her.

She stood up, and backed into the pink canvas, which fell on top of her causing her to crash down onto the carpeted floors.

Alice sat there waiting to comprehend what happened. She thought that she had come in for hand modeling, not actual modeling. Then the blanket-like fabric was lifted from above her, and a hand was shoved in front of her face.

She reluctantly took it. Once she was back on her feet, she frowned slightly "Would someone like to explain what's going on? I'm not mad, just confused."

Veronica and Niall looked at each other hesitantly. Veronica nudged Niall with her elbow, and he cleared his throat.

"Well, you see, people typically model better when they are natural, and we just wanted to test you." He shifted uncomfortably, waiting for her response.

The gears switched in her mind, and she blushed. They thought she was appropriate model material. "Oh, I understand. You could've just told me."

Niall shrugged.

Veronica brought her hands together to produce a clapping sound. "Well, since we got all that figured out, let's get Alice dressed. It may be a later night than planned."

It was then that Alice was tugged out of the room and back into the 50's Hollywood room.

Veronica pulled out an accordion-like screen, and placed it subtending the corner's inverted angle. "You're gonna get dressed behind this curtain." Alice walked slowly, and so awkwardly that Veronica put a hand on her shoulder.

"Chill out, Alice. No boys allowed in this room. So go quick, I have to dress for this photo shoot as well." Veronica viciously assured.

So Alice slipped on the garment. It was white with a small gold ribbon off to the side. Not to mention, completely sleeveless, no clear plastic straps even. But the dress' tube top seemed to stay in place, so Alice left the screen.

Alice then sat again on the futon, and her dress billowed around her. Then, she put on the strappy gold heels that came with the dress. Luckily, she didn't think that she would have walk that far in them.

Veronica walked from behind the sakura blossom screen, and Alice immediately felt self-conscious.

Veronica was sporting an off-the-shoulder long sleeved gold dress that reached the floor. It wasn't until she moved her leg, that Alice realized that the dress had a long slit up the right side that reached her mid-thigh. On her feet were sleek, black peep-toe heels. Once she saw Alice, she giggled. "Alice, you look fantastic! Let me help you with your hair and make-up."

Veronica decided with a small braid that could be pinned back with a bobby-pin. The rest of her glossy locks would be free to tumble down her back.

"Let's go!" she whispered excitingly.

Once they found Niall, he was holding his camera and tripod. They all began walking down the hallway, but not to the same room they had been in previously. Alice wondered if she would be able to make it in heels. Where were they going?

Niall opened the door to the building, and allowed the lovely ladies to go first. They stepped out into the brisk Gotham air, and Alice wished that she brought a jacket with her. Her exposed skin broke out in goosebumps, so she started rubbing her arms to create friction heat.

Niall apologized "Sorry, but giving you a jacket would ruin the image." Alice nodded, completely understanding the situation. She lowered her hands, trying to show that the cold didn't bother her, when it truth, it chilled her to the bone.

Then, Niall began leading them all over town to find the best way to capture their dazzling outerwear. At first, he let them interact with each other on the asphalt street glistening silver with rain. The shots looked very natural and relaxed for the models knowing there was a camera capturing their every move. After a few practice shots, Niall led Alice to an old brick building and had her press her back against it, and her face in profile to show off her aquiline nose. Veronica walked over to where they were and sighed at Alice's natural beauty.

It was a kind of beauty that was not well known. Impossible to describe, but a beauty that anyone could agree on, because it just existed without alterations.

After the body shots, Niall took them to a bridge with lights pipelined over the cables like a gingerbread house. The bridge overlooked an inky river, and the lights reflected in it like fairy lights. Both ladies stood on the bridge, simply walking. The last trip they took was to a highrise. By then, it was sell past midnight, and them moon was barely covered by clouds. The ladies stood there looking up at the moon.

Alice was noticeably tired by this point, and couldn't refrain from yawning. Veronica patter Alice's back and whispered "This was fun." Veronica's dirty blonde updo was nearly destroyed by this point.

They made their way back to the studio, and lazily undressed out of their night-on-the-town clothes. When Alice redressed into her 'secretary' clothes, she realized that being professional was not one of this company's priorities. She would continue to dress nice, but not fancy, unless they requested it.

Pulling on her warm coat, Alice exhaled happily. After being in the cold for so long, she had gotten used to it. But it still felt absolutely wonderful to pull on a woolen coat, and be enveloped in the glowing heat.

Saying goodbye to her new friends, Alice walked outside and looked straight up at the midnight sky. She was positively convinced that this was the job for her.

* * *

As she left the building, Veronica and Niall sighed dejectedly.

Veronica shook her head and rubbed her temples with her thumb. She slowly sat down on the waiting room couch, and allowed her tense body to sink into it. "I just don't understand why someone would target her? She seems like a girl who wouldn't allow herself to get involved with an obsessive stalker."

Niall shrugged his shoulders and let his hands relax against his thighs. He sat down close to Veronica and with a swift movement, he pulled her onto his lap. She struggled playfully to get out of his grasp, but she eventually melted against him comfortably.

She twisted her head around to look at Niall's face, and then he surprised her with a sweet kiss. At first, she was shocked, but then she placed her hand on his cheek, and kissed back.

After they had run out of breath, the two separated and Niall suggested "Maybe the stalker doesn't have a reason. Compulsive, perhaps?"

She turned back around sharply and frowned "That's such a lame excuse. Even the Flash could make up a better excuse."

Niall laughed " Veronica, don't get worked up. Let's go get a midnight snack."

Veronica stood back up "Okay, but only if you call me by my real name. We're alone now."

Laughing once more, Niall put on his green coat, and held out Veronica's jean jacket for her. " Fine,..."

* * *

 **Longer chapter than usual, eh?**

 **Well, don't expect too much.**

 **And, if Veronica's real name isn't Veronica, who could she be? I hope that I dropped enough hints...**

 **Niall doesn't seem quite right either, does he?**

 **If you guess it right, then I'll just have to ask Batman to give up his World's Greatest Detective title!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Back again, and finals are almost done! Hopefully I'll be able to get two chapters per month during summer vacation. Kind of a filler chapter, but we get a new appearance this time.**

* * *

As the lights shone through the blinds, Alice realized that it was tims to wake up. Pulling her impossibly soft covers off, she sat up with an incredible pain in her feet. What had she done last night?

Oh, right! Her first photoshoot, and she was forced to wear heels. Pulling her cramping feet closer to her, she began massaging them.

She glanced at the clock again to see that it was already ten 'o clock. She had slept much better than she had in the past month or two.

Noticing that she had thrown her coat, she picked it up, and heard a small crinkling sound in the front pocket. Unbuttoning it carefully, she saw a crumpled slip that read "Come see me, 12:00. -Jack."

Clutching the paper to her chest, she began folding her coat, and stood up to hang it on her coatrack. Dressing herself in a long-sleeve pink paisley shirt, and a pair of washed jeans. She laced her brown boots, and headed downstairs.

Better to be early than late, Alice decided. Looking out her door before walking, she made sure that she wouldn't run into the strange man again. Treading on the frayed carpet, she walked downstairs, where Jaco usually sat.

But he wasn't there.

All that sat there was a card that said "Meet me at the usual. You know where."

She looked around the poorly furnished room, attempting to find Jack, but she saw no one. What did the note even mean?

Where was the usual? The cafe! She hadn't been there for two days. How time passes, she thought, when a person is busy. Rolling her coatsleeves down to cover her hands, she opened the ice-cold metal door. The knob turned, and Alice walked out to find Jack.

By the time that she reached the cafe, it had begun to snow. The small flakes settled in Alice's golden hair, until they melted and were absorbed. Pushing the door to the cafe, she quickly went in and closed the door to not let the cold air penetrate the warm spirit of the cafe.

Alice looked around the cafe until she saw a hand waving at her. It was Jack!

Smiling slightly, Alice joined him at a table set for two. In a small Ming Dynasty styled cup, was Alice's preferred tea."You remembered!"

Jack smiled cockily "Of course I did."

In his own head, he let out a sigh of relief. In all honesty, he asked the server what Alice usually had, and he made it. Of course, he would never admit that to her face. In his own cup, he had a fair amount of black coffee, with a little bit of 'liquid courage'. The last part had been insisted upon by the server. The server had seemed a bit robtic taking the order, and had a strange glint in his eyes, but Jack took the drink anyways.

Alice sat down in front of Jack and took out her little mixing spoon out of her purse, and mixed some sugar in her tea. She began sipping the warm drink, and waited for Jack to say something.

He broke the silence, and looked as though he was internally fighting with himself. Once a glossy look registered itself in Jack's eyes he said " Alice, I need to ask you something very personal. I have the urge to ask you if you would well..."

He knelt down on the concrete floor and pulled out a velvet box. "Alice, darling, will you marry me?"

She choked down a swallowful of tea, and coughed.

"What?" She whispered weakly.

"Marry me." Jack insisted, pushing the box closer to her.

Alice couldn't understand what he was asking. They had only been going out for three weeks, and he already wanted to commit? Pushing out her chair, she stood up. Everyone was staring at her, waiting for her reaction. Suddenly, everything began closing in on her, and her peripheral vision faded until all the world went black. The last thing she saw was a hand reaching out her in hopes of catching her.

* * *

Alice opened her eyes to see a very concerned looking Jack hovering over her. For moments, Alice couldn't move her body, and began hyperventilating worrying about paralysis.

Looking into Jack's hazel eyes, she noticed a glassy look leave his eyes, and he rubbed them to wash the strange feeling away. Looking at the velvet box in his hands, he felt confused. What had he done? It was only when he saw Alice on the floor did he connect the dots. He had proposed?

A man in a large blue trenchcoat rushed over to where Alice was lying, and pulled out a small doctor's kit.

Jack attempted to push him away, but the man simply pulled out his doctor's liscence, and continued. Taking out a direct ophthalmoscope, he put it close to her eyes and made sure there were no problems. He sat Alice up, and shook her hand.

"Doctor Jervis Tetch. And you are?" He questioned.

"Alice Pleasance, thank you." She then stood up and brushed dust off her jeans.

Jervis' eyebrows twitched. "A Pleasance, huh? By any chance, are you related to Eliot Pleasance?"

She nodded her head eagerly, but then looked away in silence. "Yes, he is...was my father. He actually passed away two days ago." With that, she began to cry.

Jack, sitting on the sidelines, was still stunned that he bad proposed. He collected the small box in his hand, and his jacket. He opened his mouth to apologize, but no sound came out. A hazy look infested itself in his eyes again, and Jervis shook his shoulder.

Then he notified Alice. "I believe that Jack wants to tell you something." He said blandly.

Jack nodded, and began "That wasn't at all what I was meaning to do."

Alice stopped crying for a moment and warbled "You weren't..."

Behind his back, he took the ring out of the box, and put it in his pocket. "No." He complied "I actually came to tell you that I cheated on you. I also meant to tell you that I proposed to her, and that you are no longer welcome in the apartment."

Alice noticed that the look was present in his eyes again, and wondered if he was having an internal conflict with himself. Reaching out to hold his arm, he pulled his arm away and sneered at her.

Alice was shocked beyond all belief, and she opened the velvet box to see the ring missing. He had propsed, just not to her. Before Alice began weeping again, Jervis hurried her outside taking her silver spoon in his large pocket.

He took her back to the ghetto looking apartment, and tried to escort her in, but she refused.

"H-he said t-that I'm n-not welcome here anymore..." she whimpered.

"Oh, nonsense, Alice. He couldn't refuse you your belongings." He ushered her inside, and Alice went directly to her cubby to collect her mail, which had built up in the days she hadn't collected it.

Then she walked up the stairs with some assistance from Jervis.

"Room 16A, correct?" Jervis asked kindly. She looked at him, her reddening eyes wide with wonder. "How did you know?"

He chuckled silently, his shoulders shaking. "Your cubby numbers follow respectively from your room number, obviously."

She blushed a little, but nodded. "Room 16A is correct." Pushing in her key, she unlocked the doors and let Jervis in.

"I'm so sorry with how I acted. I'm not normally this emotional." She gushed.

He nodded in belief. "Where are your bags? Let's get packing so we can find you another apartment quickly." She opened her closet to display her two suitcases, and laid them open on her bed. "Can you please start? I need to go through my mail."

Jervis left the miniscule kitchen, and opened the closet to begin folding her clothes.

Most of Alice's mail was junk, until she reached the letter on the bottom. It was from her mother. It basically disclosed information about her father's funeral, which would be held in two weeks.

Keeping the letter open on the table, she helped Jervis pack all her belongings in her two suitcases and a backpack. Being the gentleman, he took the two heavy suitcases, and carried them downstairs.

Jack appeared at the end of the stairs, and commented "You already moved on? Such a great girlfriend."

Before Jervis could retort, Alice stepped up closer to him, and promptly slapped him. "If you think that you can insult this man, you've got another thing coming your way." She backhanded him again, and both of them left the building.

Letting out a breath, Alice clapped an hand over her mouth as if she was trying to tame it.

Instead of a cry that Jervis expected, a bubbly giggle escaped Alice's lips. Facing him fully, she gasped "I can't believe that I said that!" exclaimed Alice breathally.

Jervis nodded "You certainly asserted your dominance, dear child."

Laughing once more, she asked Jervis "Do you have a phone I could borrow? I know someone who can probably take me in." He took out a small flip phone out of his pocket, and handed it to her. Waiting for her to finish, Jervis tapped his foot, and leaned against the bricks of an old building.

"Thank you." Alice said sincerely. "My employer was kind enough to find me a place to stay. I honestly cannot thank you enough for what you've done for me. Can I help you with anything?"

"Actually, you can." Jervis stated. "I have to go to a promotion for work, but I have no one to go sith. Whould you do me the honor of accompanying me?"

"Of course!" Alice gushed. "When is it?"

"December 16, at 11:30 A.M.. We're having lunch at Gardner's Cafe, formal attire." He smiled.

She took his hand and shook it. "Can't wait." She smiled.

Carefully, she pecked his freckled cheek, and began walking.

Jervis Tetch rubbed his cheek where she had kissed it, and grinned gently before waltzing his way down the the opposite sidewalk.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the wait, but my summer vacation has been packed. I am so glad that my story has made it this far. I would really like to make it to at least chapter 8 before school starts up again. I just published my project for Legion of Super Heroes, if you are into that.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the plot.**

* * *

626 Stella Avenue, building 201, Alice repeated in her head. Her kind employers had offered her a place to stay due to her awkward predicament with her ex-boyfriend.

Who was that man, Alice pondered. She had felt sure that she had met him, or at least seen him previously, but didn't pursue the topic. If she had been wrong, she would have been thouroughly embarassed.

Her mind drifted from topic to topic, with no logical explaination. He had even mentioned her father. Why had he done that, and how did Jervis know him?

Looking at the green street plaque, she noticed that Stella Avenue was approaching extremely quickly. Instead of nodding off again, Alice began to pay more attention to her surroundings. She figured it would be helpful, especially if she was going to live around here.

A part of Alice felt guilty for barging in on her employers, but she knew that they would take care of her.

A twang of discomfort began prickling her shoulder, and she shrugged off her backpack. Setting her bags by the nearest wall, she began massaging her aching muscles. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Alice took a pencil from her backpack, and put it in her hair.

Twisting it gently, Alice set the pencil in place, and brushed her bangs straight. She wanted to look at least presentable for her agents.

Hearing a click behind her, she turned with dark eyes to find the noise. It was familiar though...

Niall!

Her eyes brightened, and she chimed "Veronica!". The familiar face appeared out of the shadows and gave Alice a hug. Niall followed behind her with a camera.

"Natural habitat of a broken-hearted young adult" simply said Niall as his eyes remained glued to the camera screen.

A tear ran down Alice's face, and Veronica wiped it away. "Tell me the whole story. Niall will take your suitcases." Veronica pulled his camera away, and gave Niall a toxic look "Right?"

This caused Alice to let out a nervous giggle, and asked "How did you know where I was?"

Niall grunted from behind "There are only so many Blondes moving all their belongings in this part of town."

Alice only started beginning taking in her surroundings consciously. This was not the part of town that she was used to. The alleys, and dirty streets were behind her. Ahead transitioned into high class penthouses of Gotham.

"Y-you live here?" Alice asked, fully intimidated. Nodding, Veronica and Niall answered "Yes, of course."

They were rich! So why had they picked her to model when they could have had anyone they decided to leave the question alone until a better time.

After being escourted to the penthouse, Alice was able to pick her room. She had always been assigned a room, so she was delighted that she had an option. She chose a first floor room, and took her bags in so that she could settle in. She began unpacking, and as she placed her last shirt on a hanger, she smelt a warm, chocolatey scent fill the air.

Was Veronica making hot chocolate? Alice had never met anyone so kind before. For a second, she wondered if it was all an act, but chased the thought away as her door opened.

Alice smiled with empty eyes. Veronica shuffled in with two cups of hot chocolate. Handing one to Alice, Veronica began rubbing Alice's back. A single tear ran down the curve of her cheek.

"Oh, honey." Veronica cooed "Telling me what happened will make it feel better, I promise."

Rather than expand the story, Alice simplified it, only telling the main points. The confession was enough to bring Alice over the edge, bringing her to desperate sobs.

As her story ended, Alice told Veronica about Jervis, and how kind he was. Then she told her about the date that he had offered. Then Veronica cut off Alice. "He asked you out on a date!" she exclaimed, a tone of worry present in her voice. Alice obviously didn't listen carefully enough, and sang happily "I know, right!"

Veronica didn't wamt to upset Alice, so she played excited during the conversation. Alice smiled a little, and hugged herself tightly.

Just then Niall walked in holding a shiny new phone. He presented it to Alice, who gasped.

"First, we need to keep track of you, since you are our model. Second, you live with us, so you'll need it to coordinate. Lastly, you probably want to keep in touch with your family." he stated professionally before giving her a smile.

Glancing over at the mug in the girls' hands, he fake pouted. "You made hot chocolate without me?!"

Smirking softly, Veronica stood up and walked over to Niall, swaying her hips. "Here, have some." Then she kissed him gently on the corner of his lip. He grinned madly. "Delicious."

Alice was too distracted by the new device to care what had happened between the couple. She tapped the power button, and the phone lit up.

She checked the contacts page, and saw that both Veronica and Niall's numbers were listed. She quickly plugged in her mother's phone number.

When she looked up, Veronica and Niall were still hugging. Alice could feel at tugin her heart at the sight of endearment. She wished someone would love her as much as they loved eachother.

She coughed slightly, and the pair separated. Veronica spoke up first. "I'll be making chili in the kitchen. If you are feeling up to it, we would love to have you join us."

She nodded her head. She opened her mouth, but closed it suddenly. "I have to go to my father's funeral, so I wanted to apologize for my emotionns that will be present in the next few days."

Veronica nodded. "We'll just leave you alone right now. Feel free to settle yourself, since you'll be living here indefinitely."

Alice, again, felt a little bit guilty for imposing, but she knew that she had no other choice. She quickly went through everything she owned again, to familiarize herself with the room.

From her room, she smelled dinner simmering on the stove to improve the flavor.

As she reached in her closet to go through her shirts, she heard a small crinkle. Another note, Alice thought as she rolled her eyes. She found the small note, to find out that it was from Jervis.

Her harsh judging softened, and she read the heartfelt note. Jervis must've mastered the English language to be so suave with his writing. Her heart fluttered.

Jervis wanted to meet her at the park so they could learn more about eachother. Her bedroom door creaked open, and on instinct, Alice shoved the note under her leg. Her hands shook from being startled. She smiled guiltily as Veronica's head appeared behind the door. Why was she keeping secrets from her generous employers?

"Dinnertime." Veronica trilled, her eyes filled with glee. Standing uo, Alice made her way to the kitchen following Veronica.

She sat down at the barstool, and accepted a porcelain bowl of steaming chili. Niall sat to the right of Alice, and she saw his eyes full of desire for the chili.

She giggled "You really like chili, don't you Niall."

He nodded as a full bowl was handed to him, and he stuffed his mouth. Veronica smiled. "It's his one comfort food. His mom always used to make it for him. I doubt he would even care if it was made well, as long it is chili."

Taking a small spoonful, she nodded. Swallowing, she agreed "This really tastes great!"

Waving her hand around, Veronica denied it. "The recipe is really easy, anyone could make it." Alice shook her head. Every good cook seemee to doubt the quality of their own meals. It seemed to be a trait they all had in common.

An hour passed, and all three people finished their meals. Silently sipping their drinks, Alice announced "I'll do the dishes."

At the same time, Veronica said "No", Niall exclaimed "Yes!". Casting a glare at Niall, Veronica insisted, "You are our guest, I could never allow that."

Niall groaned "But if she doesn't do the dished, I have to." Smirking, Veronica leered "I know. You do have to help out around the house sometimes. Marriage is a partnership, neither are subservient or opressed."

Alice smiled delightfully, and internally dreamed for someone who would love her as much as Niall loved Veronica.

Veronica motioned for Niall to get up and do his job, and he did so with a groan. Alice laughed, but informed them that she would be heading over to her room to get some sleep. Glancing behind her she walked down the dimly lit hallway to her bedroom.

She shut the door quietly, and then locked it to make sure that no one would come in. Sitting on her new bed, she looked under the cover to find the note that Jervis had left for her.

His note had really boosted her confidence, and she felt lighter. Rereading the note, she found Jervis' phone number, and quickly copied the number into her new phone. Feeling bold, she typed:

"I got your message. I would love to meet you at the park. I'll tell you if anything comes up."

Sending the text, Alice covered a giggle, and opened her pajama drawer. Pulling a nightdress on, she heard her phone vibrate on her bed.

It was from Jervis!

"Dear Alice, I am truly delighted at your acceptance of my picnic proposal. The park is called Storybook Land, and it is one of my favorites."

Alice grinned. Her parents had taken her to the park when she was younger. Hopefully, some of the charm remained.

"Thank you for your eloquent response, Mr. Tetch..." she typed, before disagreeing with it, and deleting it.

Instead, she wrote "I am dreadfully homesick. I know we barely just met, but can I call you?" He replied instantly "Of course."

Alice took a deep breath in, and pressed in the numbers. Holding the phone delicately to her ear, she waited for him to pick up.

Hearing a click on the other end, and she knew that he was listening.

"Jervis?" She breathed.

"Yes, child?" His voice rumbled gently.

Collapsing on her bed, she asked "Will you read something to me to help me fall asleep?"

"Anything you like, Alice. I can only imagine your discomfort." he answered kindly.

She thought about it for a moment, and then asked "Could you read me...", she paused as she heard the door creak open.

"Good night, Alice." Veronica whispered, letting some of the light from the hallway creep into her room.

Horrified at the thought of being caught, she waited for the door to close, and she picked the phone back up. "Sorry, Jervis. I'm alright now. I'll talk to you later." She hung up, and put the phone on her nightstand.

Folding her hands over her blanket, she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath in.

Her bed was very comfortable, and she fell asleep earlier than planned, although her mind remained heavy with guilt.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back! Sorry about the wait, it has been a busy month for me.**

 **I also finally established a schedule. I'm going to post two chapters a month, whether it is part of a story, or a one shot.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Alice awoke to the sounds of her blinds opening, and pure light flooded the room.

She nearly hissed as she pulled the covers over her head. "Rise and shine, sweet'ums." Veronica sang.

Definitely a morning person, Alice thought. As she brought the blankets down, she allowed her eyes to get used to the morning light.

Tossing her legs over the side of her bed, Alice rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

Veronica called "Niall's making breakfast. Just come to the kitchen when you are ready." She nodded to let Veronica know that she was conscious.

Groggily opening her cornflower blue eyes, she pushed her bangs off her forehead. Walking over to her closet, Alice picked out a light blue soft t-shirt, and a pair of white jeans.

Fully clothed, Alice made her way to her bathroom. The second she touched the cold tile, she winced. It was cold! Washing her face with soap and water, she let the droplets fall off her face and back into the sink. Eventuay, she dried them off with a handtowel and began on her silky blonde hair.

Taking a few bobby pins, she pinned the side bangs away from her face. Gently combing her bangs, she smiled once in the mirror and left the bathroom for the kitchen.

Walking through the common room into the kitchen, Alice smelt waffles cooking, and grinned. She hadn't had them for a long time.

Both adults greeted her "Good morning, Alice."

Picking up one of the plates, Alice took the waffle on top of the growing stack. Covering it in butter and syrup, she sat down to enjoy her waffles.

She hadn't realized how hungry she was, and ate three waffles. Both Niall and Veronica were impressed at how much Alice ate. Veronica shrugged it off, and went back to devouring her own waffles. Niall kept making more, until he had used all the batter.

Since not all the waffles were eaten, Niall tucked them into a plastic bag and put them in a freezer.

As all of them were cleaning up, Veronica sat back down and checked her phone. After a few moments of scrolling, Veronica shouted "Yes!"

This startled both Alice and Niall, and they gathered around Veronica to hear the apparent good news.

"The Cathedral has an empty day! They said that we can use it for our bridal shoot." Exclaimed Veronica.

Niall hugged Veronica. "I'm so glad! We've been working do hard for this."

Alice felt awkward interrupting the moment, but asked "What do you need the Gotham Cathedral for? Wouldn't any church do?"

Laughing slightly, Veronica explained "It means a lot to our client that the shoot happens in Gotham's most famous cathedral. Her great-great-grandfather helped pay for it to be built after all."

Alice nodded and asked "When is it?"

Veronica replied absentmindedly, sincd she was responding to the church's e-mail. "Uh, it's supposed to be December third. Today is November the twenty-first, so in two weeks.

Alice's face fell. "That's the day before my father's funeral. Anyways, I'll go and fix up my room. Call my name if you need me."

Once she made it to her room, Alice looked for the funeral invitation and pinned it on her wall so she wouldn't forget.

Laying on her bed, stomach down, she picked up her phone from her nightstand. Scrolling to her mom's number, she pressed it and put the device to her ears.

Her mother picked up. "Who is this?"

Relieved, Alice replied "It's me, mom. Alice." She heard a frown form on her mother's face. "Why didn't you call earlier? Do you still only have ten minutes?"

Alice waited for her mother to cease the interrogation. "Sorry, mom. I've been busy since I got a new job, and I moved out of my old apartment. Jack and I broke up."

Alice's mother had never met Jack, so she disregarded the last statement. "What job did you get?"

Alice smiled, and rolled her eyes. Her mom was so typical."I'm going to let that be a surprise. I honestly just wanted to call you to tell you that I am okay, and life is getting better. See you in two weeks."

She hang up without allowing her mother to question her further.

Placing the cell phone back on her nightstand, Alice sighed. So much had happened in the past week.

Then she heard Veronica calling her name from down the hall. "Can you come here for a second, Alice? I could really use some help."

Obeying immediately, Alice followed Veronica's voice to the end of the hallway and to the left. Pushing the door open, Alice felt like she knew the room. It reminded her of the retro dressing room at the work building.

Veronica was sitting at a fold out table, a measuring tape hung around her neck, and a pencil balanced between her lips. She let the pencil slip onto the table as she beckoned for Alice to come closer.

"Which pattern do you think would go better for a winter wedding? Mint green and white, or purple and gray?"

Answering swiftly, Alice said "Mint green. It's cool and refreshing. Purple and gray is too crowded for a winter wedding." Veronica shrugged. "That's what I thought too, but I wanted another opinion. Thanks."

Alice remained standing, waiting for Veronica to call on her again. Veronica circled a few wrods in her sketchbook, and filled in a few parts of paperwork.

Taking the two-dimensional mannequin, a piece of paper, and a wooden pencil, Veronica loosely sketched an idea for the bride's gown.

By now, Alice walked over to Veronica's side of the table to look at the sketch. Veronica seemed stumped, so Alice began offering some suggestions.

"In my opinion, a flouncy or ruffled skirt seems too summery. Perhaps, something with a shimmery overlay, or single layered would be more appropriate." Carding her hands together, Alice waited for Veronica's reaction.

What she got was completely unexpected. Veronica turned around in her chair, and gave her biggest smile to Alice.

"That's absolutely perfect! I've been way overcomplicating the designs." Veronica said, a flurry of papers flew off the desk. Alice rushed to collect them, but Veronica told her not to. "I've been working on the design for almost a month, and you fixed it in a minute. You are a miracle worker, Alice!"

The compliment left Alice off guard, she smiled, and left Veronica to scribble all over her papers.

Once again, it felt nice to be useful and included.

Alice decided to go find Niall, and ask him about their schedule for the week. Opening a few doors, Alice eventually found him sitting at a computer.

She delicately knocked on the door, and waited for Niall to look up and acknowledge her. He finished whatever he was doing, and then gestured for her to come in.

Alice took the irritation openly, and sat in a chair across from Niall.

Folding her hands in her lap, she asked him "Do you ever write out your weekly schedule? I could really use a copy."

Thinking for a minute, Niall nodded "I do have a schedule. Veronica gets really annoyed by lists, so I have to keep them hidden."

Opening a drawer, he shuffled through a few papers until he straightened up again. "Here you go. Anything else?" He handed the paper to Alice.

"Actually, yes." Alice replied "I was wondering if you knew how many photoshoots you'll have next month."

Niall relaxed into his seat, and rubbed his stubbled chin, obviously thinking.

He moved his fingers in front of him as if he was writing dates in the air. Adding it all up he stated "The third, obviously. The twenty-first, twenty-ninth, and the thirty-first. That's all. Are you planning something?"

Alice shook her head. "Just wanted to know the schedule. Thanks." She left abruptly, and closed his office door.

Alice felt that it necessary to print off a calendar to remember which dates Niall had stated. She repeated the numbers in her head so that she wouldn't forget them. She headed towards her room so that she could write the events on her calendar.

Dropping her body on her bed, Alice went through with her plan. As she wrote down all her work days, she suddey remembered Jervis' picnic.

They had never established a specific day for their date. Opening the drawer to her nightstand, Alice pulled out her new phone and opened her contact list.

Picking Jervis' number, Alice texted:

"When do you want to have the picnic? We never really set a date."

She recieved a reply almost immediately.

"Would this friday, December the third work out? Obviously later in the afternoon, such as four or five?"

Alice smiled. It seemed like Jervis always knew what was going on. But it wasn't possible. They just had very similar schedules.

Realizing that she had been daydreaming for a while, she hastily replied:

"That would be perfect. See you then."

He replied chivalrously "Of course."

The small amount of time that Alice spent out of the real world was precious to her. Placing the phone back inside the drawer, Alice smoothed out her white jeans.

Taking a deep breath, Alice decided she needed to tell Veronica about her date. Especially since it was the same day as the photoshoot.

She was about to stand up when her door flew open. Veronica leaned up against it and breathed "Get your shoes and coat, we're going out for lunch with our client."

This startled Alice, so sat back down, and placed a hand over her heart. Veronica apologized. "Sorry for scaring you. We just really need to get moving. The café is almost halfway across town."

Nodding, Alice put on a pair of brown leather, and her gray woolen coat. She arranged her bangs in the mirror, and went to the kitchen, where she assumed everyone was waiting.

And they were. It felt great to be around predictable people.

Niall and Veronica linked elbows, sharing what they thought was a secret smile. Alice was once again impressed with her employers wealth, as they entered the garage.

They had to have at least ten cars. How could anyone afford that?

Niall chose a silver coupe, and offered a seat to Veronica and Alice in the back of the small car.

Once everyone was inside, Niall joked that he was playing 'chauffeur' for two lovely ladies. Veronica giggled, but then gave Niall the address to the café.

With both adults in one place, Alice knew that she needed to tell them about her date.

Opening her mouth, Alice stuttered "I-I have a d-date on the third after the photoshoot. I felt that you should know."

This statement surprised both Veronica and Niall. They simultaneously stared at Alice, until Veronica commanded "Keep your eyes on the road, Niall!"

Veronica smiled, but Alice noticed that her eyes looked worried. Veronica blinked, and asked "Who is it with?"

Feeling trusting, Alice admitted "It's with Jervis. You know, the man that helped me move out. He said that he wanted to get to know me better, you know, when I'm not so emotional."

The car suddenly swerved, causing Alice and Veronica to fall into eachother. "Sorry," Niall apologized, "I almost missed the street. Anyways, do you need a ride to your date?"

Alice smiled "That would be great, thank you. It's at the park."

Niall hummed. "Good. That's not far from the Gotham Cathedral, so we won't have to worry about time."

Veronica and Niall chatted for the rest of the drive while Alice stared out the window. She was so close to the window that her breath made the glass foggy.

Using her pointer finger, Alice drew a simple happy face in the condensation.

They parked at the Blue Skies Café, and stepped out of the car and into the mild windy weather. Luckily, the entrance of the café saw only a few feet away.

Staring at the ground, Alice followed Niall and Veronica's footsteps. They sat down at a booth, and Alice finally looked up. She saw the client, and tried to decide if she had met her before. Gotham was a small world, after all.

She had never seen the lady before and didn't think she was that important.

According to Veronica, her name was Jean Prince. She came from a high-class family, who could afford renting out the Gotham Cathedral. She had auburn hair, and dusty teal-colored eyes, and a cute nose.

Her brand name clothes projected a brattish image around her. However, she wasn't one at all, and Alice knew from the first thing Jean said to her.

"Are you Niall's new model?" Jean asked. Alice blushed and nodded.

She didn't really listen to the conversation from then on.

* * *

By the second week of knowing Jean, Alice was sad to let her leave. They had become such good friends in such a short amount of time.

When Veronica let it slip that Alice had helped design Jean's wedding dress, they had become thick as theives. Jean was always excited to hear Alice's ideas pertaining to fashion.

For not having much, Alice knew a lot about composing dresses. She just had an eye for decor.

It was the day before the photoshoot and the final touches were being added to the prop list and outfits.

Last minute, one of Jean's bridesmaids got sick, so Jean let Alice step in as her replacement. Alice immediately accepted.

Alice excused herself to her room to pack. She figured that after her date with Jervis, she would be to exhausted to pack, so she did it now.

Carefully packing her black velvet dress that she had purchased for the funeral, she zipped up her suitcase. Taking a breath, Alice prepared herself for the hectic week to come.


End file.
